2026 Canyon Rims - Tami Rougeau

By Tami Rougeau

May 15 2026

Team Red Adventure #5 2026 Part 1

It has been a very busy last few weeks but finally getting a few quiet moments to put together the story for Adventure 5 – Canyon Rims 2026.

On Wednesday morning we did a leisurely pack up and got ready to head to the ride. Since it was only a short 3–4-hour drive and it was predicted to be windy, we were in no rush. We so enjoyed our time with Julie, but we knew we would be seeing her again at the ride in a few days. We headed out to blue skies and sunshine. After a quick stop by Annie and Dave’s place we were on our way to camp.

When we arrived, there were just a couple of trailers already there and we were met by Cory and Mickey. All smiles and welcomes from this hard-working management family. I just love the energy of their ride camps. I quickly set up camp using the trailer as the wind block for the girl’s coral. It really was windy and the sand was ever present. The girls did not seem to mind as much as the humans did. Even with the wind it is still nice to be in camp and settled with a full day of rest before the ride begins. It also gives time to visit and catch up with friends. Not on Wednesday though. That evening we sheltered in place in the trailer; the girls tucked up to the trailer and happily enjoyed their hay. It made for a delightful early evening for us all.

Thursday the wind abated, clear blue skies were the theme and perfect low 60’s temps. The day was spent preparing everything we would need for the next three days. This means preparing all of the lunch and dinner meals for both horses, making sure hay bags were all set, mixing up electrolytes and packing a crew bag for the middle day when we get to have an away check. The girls got a good grooming as well. It was a fun and productive day. More trailers arriving and people setting up and seeing old friends setting up for the great weekend ahead. The girls thoroughly relaxed to the point of taking turns napping in the warm sun and soft sand.

Before we knew it, it was time for the ride meeting. Mickey and her gang do an over-the-top job of organizing all of the days and distances. Maps were handed out and trails described. Then it was time for bed. The sun was not setting until after 8pm, still which is so nice. We were all set for the next day with no set plans to pair up with anyone in particular. The focus this year for Penelope was to master higher paces. She has been adapting to this really well with her 7-8 mph trot smoothing out. I was so happy with her performance at Cuyama I figured we would just continue and she could do a little more solo time.

Pen was totally easy going out in the morning just behind the hot shoes and moved out nicely without any drama. We settled into a nice pace and quickly paired up with Suzie Jones from New Mexico. Suzie has been at this sport for a long time and is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Our red mares paired up nicely enjoying each other’s company. Penelope does not challenge for taking lead. She will take the lead willingly but if the other horse wants it, she is happy to oblige. The first loop went by quickly enjoying some of the most breathtaking views, riding along the rims and down in the canyons. The footing could not have been more perfect. We had learned about slick rock last year at Moab. Penelope remembered and navigated it all like a pro. There was plenty of green grass and she made a point not to miss any of it.

We enjoyed a nice hour break and headed out for loop 2. More spectacular views, excellent footing and so many good stories. This day just few by. Of course, there had to be some red horse shenanigans when both mares decided that grey tumble weeds were the scariest things around. Seriously, how many tumble weeds have you seen? It became quite the game for them both challenging both our riding skills and sense of humor. We cruised in nicely midafternoon and the mares looked great. Suzie’s plan had been to ride days 1 and 3 but the forecast for Sunday was not looking good. She decided to maybe just do the 30 on day 2.

On Friday Julie arrived with her friend Scarlett who would be doing the 50 the next day while Julie did the 30. We decided that we would try starting out and see how the day went. Scarlett is relatively new and looking for the balance between family and horses. She is doing it really well from what I can tell. We had a great time with the mares pacing nicely together. We made it to the out vet check trotting in. Out of curiosity I took Pen to the pulse taker quickly after getting a drink just to see where she was at. Already down and dropping. This big mare is amazing. We spent the hour chatting and taking care of the horses. Then we were off for the last loop. These rides with so much beauty make the day pass by far too quickly. We enjoyed our day sharing stories and talking about life. What a great day ending far too soon midafternoon. We got our team finish photo and celebrated the day. We spent some time visiting our Colorado friends then ride meeting and off to bed at another decent hour. Penelope looked like she had not done anything.

Stay tuned for Day 3!

Team Red Adventure 5 – Part 2

Sunday had been a question mark for us all week due to the predicted wet weather. Throughout Saturday the prediction improved and when I got up things looked pretty good, so I decided to give it a go. After riding Moab last year in the rain, I had no desire to do it again. Mickey was there, all smiles and good vibes, so off we went a little behind the small pack of riders. We eventually caught up to Adrienne Dymesich from Wisconsin. We met last year when we stayed at her place on our way home from Michigan. What a treat to share the trail and catch up.

About an hour or so into the ride the heavens opened and the rain started. It only lasted for about 20 minutes, just when we began to get soaked the rain stopped and the sun came out. We were dry and warm in no time. The horses navigated the trail expertly. Adrienne Dymesich rides a gated Morgan so at times our pace was a little different, but the girls always got back together. After a few misty rain events and some seriously over the top views that were enhanced with the rain we were back in camp for the hour hold.

Penelope did her job of consuming every bit of food and water then taking a nap. Since the rain had slowed us just a bit I was highly motivated to get out on time and set a solid pace. There were dark clouds around us but none that looked terribly threatening. Not long into the loop the biggest thunder clap I had ever heard exploded right over the top of us. Pen did not even flinch or break stride she just kept moving. Somehow we got out of camp without Adrienne, I figured she was ahead of us and doing the same thing. With the dark cloud and thunder over the top of us there was great motivation to get off the plateau. About that time a person stepped out from behind a tree and surprised both of us. It was Maya Lopez Grasse whom we had met previously at another ride. She was out for a run and was looking for lightning. I told her I had not seen any yet, only thunder and we all carried on. I am pretty sure she rode the day prior so total beast points for going on a long run the day after riding. Go Maya!

Just as the hail began to pelt us we headed down into the canyon. Pea size hail pelting off and feeling like little needles was less than pleasant but Pen handled it like a pro. When we got to the long section of slick rock I chose to dismount and walk, no sense taking a chance for either of us. When we were about halfway down the canyon a protected spot appeared and I tried to get Pen to shelter there for a few minutes to let it all pass. She was having none of that and insisted we press on. Thankfully it only lasted a short while longer. When we hit the main road Tegan and Ross were there in the truck checking on riders. They offered blankets, water etc but I said we were good. I guess they were really looking for Adrienne who left behind me for some reason. We continued on and low and behold Maya popped out of the trees again. We had a good laugh and she took a few pics of us then we were off to the lollipop. We ran into another rider who was just finishing that section, I think she was having an exciting ride. Pen cruised through and we were on the home stretch.

About a mile from camp the trail makes a sweeping left turn and heads straight to camp. At this point we were joined by 10 antelopes. We slowed down and Pen checked them out with a few of them darting away ahead of us. The rest of them stood and watched us. If we moved forward, they moved forward. If we stopped, they stopped. They would not leave! I yelled and Pen snorted and they just kept playing the mirror game. I was a little nervous to let Pen trot away for fear they would copycat that move and dart around us. So, for 40 minutes we slowly made our way to the curve with the antelope trilling at us and mimicking our every move. I thought we would never make that turn. As cool as it was to play with the antelope it was also frustrating because we were ready to be done with our little adventure. Adding 40 minutes of play time at the end seems a little over the top endurance.

We arrived in camp to Mickey Smith and her family with their warm smiles. Adrienne was there as well to my surprise. Apparently, her horse had a small interference spot that was nagging at them and they were not able to make good time with the hail and rain so they had turned back. Glad they were safe and still not out there. We got our photos together and went to see Cathy. She deemed Penelope in great shape and congratulated us on our three days. I really love our endurance vets who cheer us on, celebrate with us and help us take the best care we can of our beloved partners.

We got to the trailer and set to work taking care of Pen with lots of grooming, a Beemer session and leg wrapping while she enjoyed another wet mash and yummy alfalfa. At this point in the ride I love spending this time with my girls and reflecting on our weekend. Pen felt great, like she could just keep going. She has now mastered the long steady 7-8 mph trot, takes great care of herself, watches where her feet are going (most of the time unless there is food involved) and stays connected to me. What an amazing mare on an amazing and challenging trail. For this ride we used EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Easyshoe One with Vettec CS pour in on the front and Easyshoe Speed on the hind. These worked great on all of the slick rock. When we took the shoes off a few weeks later her feet looked great.

Awards that evening were really special with lots of stories and laughs. The group was of course smaller with many people leaving camp on Saturday. It was so much fun. I took a little time to chat with Mickey about the weekend and how she and her team were feeling. Watching this team work so seamlessly taking care of every little detail is wonderful. We are very much looking forward to the fall Moab Ride being held the 9-11th of October. Not only will there be three days of riding there will also be a 100-mile event. Choices, choices…. but that is a few adventures down the line. Time to head home so the next adventure can begin…

2026 Caballo Sin Nombre - Tami Rougeau

April 22 2026

By Tami Rougeau

Team Red hit the road last week for New Mexico and the Caballo Sin Nombre ride near Aztec New Mexico. This was an XP Ride hosted by Annie and the Duck. It was Makena's weekend this time since Penelope had done Cuyama, With the weather in Reno becoming more like winter we were more than ready to head out to warmer climates,

On Monday life seemed to just take over and I was still recovering from the gnat attack at Derby the previous weekend so we did not leave until early Tuesday. Since we like to arrive a day early to give the girls a day to rest and recover we were going to have to suck it up and make it in 2 days. Turns out it was not that bad. We overnighted in Hinkley on Tuesday. They have really done some good work on the rodeo area and it is a nice quiet, clean area to overnight.

We arrived in camp on Wednesday evening well before dark and got ourselves all set up. We got to park next to our friend Julie Figg and do a little catching up. Julie had been there for a couple of days marking trail for the ride. On Thursday we did a little ride and Julie showed me some of the area. It was so nice to get a small preview. Makena was totally full of herself and ready to go...ugh fit horses LOL. When we got back our friend Kerry Redente arrived with Val. Always a great time to share camp with them. Both girls really like Val and the feeling is mutual.

Thursday night we had a nice ride meeting, downloaded our GPS tracks for the next day and made sure our map and vet card were in the saddle for the next day. The nice thing about getting in a day early is that we have time to set everything up for the three days. This makes every day very easy and all I have to do each day is put away what was used making clean up easy on the last day.

Friday we started out with Julie for the first few miles but Makena was just too much so we broke off and did our own thing. The trails are amazing here. They are so perfect with little to no rocks. There is plenty of slick rock but if you know how to cross it is not a problem. Makena marched out this trail like she knew it and we picked off several riders throughout the day. This days trails were mostly single track with just enough road mixed in to keep things interesting. We love technical single track that makes you and the horse really think about what you are doing and where to ribbons are. We had so much fun!!! All of that fun meant that I had to be on my game and although I really enjoyed the scenery I have very little opportunity for photos today. We cruised in easily achieving a top ten placing for the day. We finished with plenty of time to clean up and get ready for the next day.

Saturday Makena and I started out a couple of minutes behind everyone else. I was hoping for a slightly more relaxed day where I could actually take a few photos.

Makena had other plans and as as the miles went by we passed one rider after another. Did I mention how amazing the footing is here? How about the wildflowers? The Indian Paintbrush was getting started and oh boy is it the most vibrant scarlet red I have ever seen. It seems like everything was just starting to open up. Once we had passed several others Makena finally settled down to a steady roar and I was at least able to grab a few photos. I really wanted to video the single tracks but every time we hit these fun trails she just got the zoomies and off we went. We spent the day by ourselves again. It was fun to be on our own but we sure missed our riding buddies. Once again we cruised in to another top ten finish and she had so much left in the tank.

Day three is always hard as the tired sets in and you really just want to stay in bed and enjoy a nice cup of tea - the reward tomorrow for digging in today. I was actually up early and ready to go early too so figured we might as well go out with the group and see how that worked out. Within a mile we were on our own cruising down these amazing trails and enjoying the absolute beauty of the area. I have to say that being able to enjoy these remote historic areas with Makena reinforced just how blessed we are that there are still people out there willing to do the work to put on these rides.

Sunday The Duck played a bad joke on us and had us come back through camp off loop 1 onto loop 3. By about 20ish miles we were caught by Kayti Curtis and a very nice new rider named Michelle. Makena finally decided that she was ready for a friend and Nono was the chosen one. We had a good laugh reminding each other that is was Day 3/Loop 1....Day 3 Loop 3....Day 3 Loop 2. It kept us on our toes paying attention to the pie plates and GPS. Nono and Makena went really well together taking turns leading on the single tracks and side by side on the roads. In no time we were cruising in to camp for another top ten finish. Makena still had energy to spare and looked great. I am so proud of this little spitfire.

We had the best three days with the best footing, views, wildflowers, water, trail marking and the best ride camp vibe. It is always fun to ride with new people and hang out with friends. We got all cleaned up and settled for the evening while most of the riders packed up and headed out. It made for a small final awards meeting but for the 8 of us there it was the most fun. We all had dinner together and enjoyed loads of story telling.

This is when the icing hit the cake on an amazing weekend. Makena earned Fastest Overall Time for the three days and tied for Overall Best Condition with Phyllis Bartholomew who has been at this multi day event gig for a long time and her horse always looks so amazing. What an honor to share this coveted award with someone that I admire. Phyllis and her husband Otis actually spent a lot of time in the area and located many more miles of single track so that we had hardly any roads. When it comes to XP rides everyone pitches in somehow to make the weekend great for everyone. My only regret was not getting enough photos....

On Monday we packed up and headed to Durango to stay with my friend Julie Figg at her amazingly beautiful place. The girls got to be turned out in a huge pasture which was just the best for them. Hanging out with Julie again was great fun and very relaxing. Before we knew it Wednesday arrived and we had to pack up for the next adventure.

Stay tuned for Team Red Adventure 5 2026!!!!

2025 Virginia City 100 - Emily Farmer

By Emily Farmer
September 22 2025

Naji is officially a 100 mile mare. I suppose that technically makes me a 100 mile rider, as I managed to hang on for that length of time! What follows is almost as long of a read, as the ride was a ride!

On Saturday we attempted the Virginia City 100, a historic 100 mile endurance ride held by the Nevada All-State Trail Riders, which starts and ends in Virginia City, NV. This ride was hard. I can honestly say that both the first and last 50 miles taken independently were each probably harder than any other 50 mile ride we've done so far. The unrelenting rocks and elevation changes made this ride especially unforgettable, and ultimately took a tole on Naji's shoes in a way that I could not have imagined.

We started off strong for the first 50 miles, riding with Amrita Oleary and her powerful Poet, and Peggy Murphy and her hard as nails mare. Lucy Chaplin Trumbull and Annette McGyver provided exceptional, experienced crewing support through the entire ride, and Naji pulsed down shortly after arrival at each Vet check and ate and drank with gusto.

We arrived back at camp at 50 miles and Naji was looking great apart from a mild soreness on her right back/loin area. While she ate and drank and relaxed, we switched over all my saddle bags over to a different saddle and pad, to attempt to correct the discomfort that was developing. She had also lost the DIM support material in both front shoes, so I pulled what remained and refilled under all 4 pads with Silpack soft to prevent any more little rocks from getting in the back. I felt that Naji was going to have a rough go mentally leaving camp at 50 miles, as she was probably expecting to be done at that distance. For these reasons I decided to stay a little longer at this Vet check, and let Amrita and Peggy go on ahead. I didn't want Naji to get caught up trying to go too fast and burn herself out given how much we had left to do. I started out on my own, still in third place, and immediately went the wrong way, back up loop 1!! OOPS! Got back on track only to find that the trail was pretty intense in both elevation and rocky footing, and Naji was a little checked-out mentally. She still had good energy, but all she wanted to do was eat. Every tuft of dry brittle desert grass became a snack. We moved along despite the difficulties and actually caught up to Amrita and Peggy at the Jumbo aid station around 60 miles in. We commiserated about the difficulty of the trail, that our horses were in "march" mode, and after allowing her some time to rest and eat, I decided to go on together with them in the hopes it would perk her up a little. That it did, but only for a short time before we started climbing Mount Davidson.

On our way up the mountain Naji got into a slow, casual, steady trot around 5 mph, which she was able to maintain most of the way up with some breaks to walk. Amrita and Peggy pulled ahead and went on their way. The way back down was so steep and rocky that I dismounted and jogged/walked for probably a good mile or so. This was beneficial for my knees and body in general, although I did slip and fall on loose rocks several times while Naji looked on, wondering what my problem was! This was a long, slow, descent and I will admit, I was starting to wonder what the heck we were doing out here.

Lucy and Annette met me where the trail crossed the road near Geiger Summit and Naji TANKED up. She drank and drank and drank and hoovered hay. They also tried to get food and liquids into me, but I was more resistant. I did get in some of the hot chocolate they made, and forced myself to eat another Gu, but I was starting to get nauseated and feeling a bit low. We spent a good bit of time here and both left feeling perked up. Arrived back at camp in dark-twilight at 7:50. Still in 3rd place but with a group of 3 other riders right with us that had caught up on the descent to camp.

This was a 45 minute tack-off hold. Despite the rough nature of loop 2, Naji was still doing well both metabolically and soundness wise. She pulsed in great and apart from B on gut sounds, she got straight A's on the rest of her vet card, including that sore spot on her back, which had resolved with the saddle change. Her shoes were, however, looking VERY rough and I had some concerns. I had applied Easycare Race on the front, which has an exposed aluminum shoe in the bottom and Easycare Speed Metal on the hind, which has an aluminum shoe embedded within composite. I've used this same shoe combo repeatedly, and did the 60 mile at the 20 Mule Team ride with a similar set up that had already been in wear for 3 weeks at the time of the ride, so this was a testament to just how rocky and difficult this ride had been so far. Both front shoes showed severe wear, with the heals of the aluminum shoe worn down flat as a pancake. The rear shoes had the composite material worn off at the toes and the metal within was exposed and starting to wear. There was not much I could do at this stage of the game other than hope they would last. I do carry 2 spare boots, in the event a shoe comes off.

We started out on loop 3 and Naji was a little hesitant to go out into the night, but feeling perked up and pretty energetic. It was now completely dark (new moon in 1 day) and I rode with my red headlamp on to preserve her night vision and I let Naji pick the route. We were leap frogging the group of 3 riders that had come in with us at the end of loop two, and she was motoring along pretty well. About 5 miles in to loop 3 she became more hesitant and she felt a bit off. The group of 3 riders went ahead (Suzanne Hayes with 2 others) and I slowed down (moving to 6th) assuming Naji was probably just pooping out. A few miles later, around 8 miles in, she became noticeably off. I peered down in the darkness to see the heal portion of the glue-on cuff of one front shoe sticking out oddly to the side. Got off and discovered complete failure and breakage of the entire lateral side of the aluminum shoe on the front left. The cuff was still adhered to the hoof at the top, and the entire medial cuff was still on. Upon inspection of the front right, I found similar breakage of the metal at both the medial and lateral toe, but both cuffs were still very tightly adhered to the hoof wall and the bits of metal shoe had not displaced, being still stuck to the pad beneath them. I decided I would try to wrap tape around both shoes to hold the pieces together under the hoof.

Unfortunately, the cuffs had not separated from the hoof wall, making it difficult to actually remove the shoe the rest of the way so that I could apply my back up boots. The boots will not fit over the shoes if they are still attached. We continued with the tape job, mostly walking, slowly trotting for another 2 miles, when she felt off again and I looked down and found it had disintegrated. At this time I decided we were not going to make it with the one badly broken shoe, I had to remove it and apply the boot. I got out my handy Leatherman tool (thanks Richard Myers) and filed away enough glue so that I could use the pliers to pry the cuffs off. Got the boot on OK. Thought about doing the same to the other shoe but it was still REALLY on there, and the metal bits were not displaced, so I wrapped some more tape on and away we went slowly walking/trotting, sound again. At this point, I will admit, I was quite down. I thought frequently about calling Lucy and Annette and asking them to pick me up along a road somewhere. I thought about bed, about sitting in a chair, about laying flat on the motionless ground. Many dark thoughts came and went. Two more riders came upon me in the dark and passed, pushing me to 8th. I was around 92 miles. I told myself I could walk the entire way to finish and still complete in time, and that pushed me on. At mile 94 I arrived at the Long meadow vet check, tape still intact on one, boot on the other. She vetted in sound. I asked a volunteer if anyone had duct tape and amazingly someone did, so I wrapped some duct tape around the electrical tape. Melissa Montgomery and two other riders with her came in to the vet check shortly thereafter and passed within a few minutes of leaving, pushing me out of the top 10. I started this ride just hoping to complete it. Being in the top 10 would have been icing on the cake, but I had mentally returned to priority #1, which was completion with a healthy horse.

I continued with some slow trotting on the flat sandy sections and walking in others. I could tell Naji was irritated by the 1 boot and the mobility of the bits of the other shoe. Around mile 97 we had made it to Sign Hill and two more riders (Jeremy Reynolds and another) came up. In true endurance family fashion, Jeremy tried to assist with my shoe issue! He had a larger size Easyboot which he tried to apply over the broken metal shoe but unfortunately it still wasn't large enough to fasten securely with the shoe and cuffs in place. I asked them to go ahead, we were in "limp" mode and I did not want to slow them down. The 2 miles down off of Sign Hill are steep and rocky. I got off and walked on foot, slid and fell a few more times. I continued on foot for 2 miles until about 100 yards from the finish line where I remounted. I wanted to cross that line riding. We finished at 1:42 am with a ride time of 17 hrs 27 minutes. Despite the issues we had faced, Naji vetted in amazingly and we still finished in 13th. She got A's for all categories apart from B on her back, which had become a little sore again around the loins.

I learned so many things on this ride. Naji learned so many things. Her incredible strength and stamina has amazed me once again. She could outrun the four horses of the apocalypse. A huge thank you to my incredible crew Lucy and Annette. Although he could not be at this ride, my enjoyment of this sport would not be possible without the immense support and great efforts of Chris Farmer. And last but not least, the ride management and volunteers who did an amazing job putting this ride together. What an experience!

Great Britain: Michaelchurch: Testing the Waters Before Red Dragon - Bella Fricker

Bellafricker.co.uk - Full Story

Michaelchurch: a prep for Great Britain's Red Dragon, with Relentless rain, Riding through actual clouds with zero visibility, Slippery sheep-grazed moorland tracks, Freezing cold, lost three times, and watching my horse’s legs disappear underneath him — twice.

September 9 2025
by Bella Fricker

As I’m sure you know by now, my big aim this season is to take Chip to Red Dragon at the end of September. It’s one of the UK’s most iconic endurance rides, set in the Welsh hills, and it’s got a reputation for being both stunning and seriously tough. The kind of ride that will either give you the best memories of your season or completely humble you.

Living just north of Milton Keynes, my daily reality couldn’t be further removed from those Welsh mountains. My training options are flat grassy headlands, a few purpose-built woodchip tracks, and that’s about it. No long climbs, no moorland, no technical descents. Nothing that prepares you for Red Dragon terrain.

So after completing the 64km CER at Avon Valley last month, I knew I had the slow conditioning miles in the tank — but the hills? We desperately needed them. I managed a few trips out for hill sessions, but the big focus was on Michaelchurch, a September Endurance GB ride in the Black Mountains. Three weeks before Red Dragon. Perfect timing...

Read more here:
https://www.bellafricker.co.uk/post/ride-report-michaelchurch-testing-the-waters-before-red-dragon

2025 Tevis Cup - Jay Mero

www.endurance.net/international/USA/2025TevisCup

by Jay Mero DVM
July 15 2025

“Learn By Doing” to borrow the University of Cal Poly’s famous quote - was the theme for our Tevis 2025 weekend. My best mare Lena bruised her right rear foot on a training ride exactly two weeks before Tevis. It was my fault as we had been training hard and I’d let her shoes get too worn in the last week or two lead up, trying to get her closer to her Tevis shoeing date. I still made a big effort trying to help her with some injections and special shoes, but we just didn’t have enough time. We also have been struggling with Clip’s LR foot since Febuary, also trying every bit of magic I could pull out of a hat to keep her sound. The whole scenario with both mares was just really ridiculous as many know we’ve struggled for years with their front feet. Always their front feet, till this year.

So when it became obvious Lena was out and Clip was a question mark, there wasn’t much left in the yard for me to pick from. Lucky for me our first homebred, race bred Arab mare Arrya was the solution. Arrya is the daughter of my first race bred Arab mare Jet Setting Sandrita, who has finished Tevis, and a tough, tough race stallion named Ibn Okba, out of the famous Okba. Arrya had been training right along with her big sisters and had gotten to rides earlier this year including a 3 day and a 2 day back to back stints. But I don’t usually bring a horse to a 100 miler until another year of training and many more endurance rides are under their belt. In addition Tevis is a whole other beast and horses really need to be well trained, seasoned and responsive to all the rider’s aids to increase the odds of finishing healthy and safely. We were sorely lacking in that catagory.

Let’s just say the mare likely experienced 6-12 months of training and schooling in one compressed 24 hour period. I fretted over the start, as I knew we’d need to first stand still in what I call a tin can alley after we walk down to the start a little over a mile from ride camp. We wait another 5-8 minutes packed into said tin can before we are released to start. Anyone who’s ridden a young horse can appreciate patience is not one of their virtues. Then we’d have to navigate lots of single tract with drop offs and horses galloping by us, most often not safely, as soon as they got a sliver of trail to go by. We tried to start with Clip and Reyna for support but then I just sent them on ahead. I’m not really sure how we survived the beginning as I had to have a thousand discussions with Arrya about how fast we were in fact going to go, and no not as fast as she wanted to. She opted to express her displeasure at me controlling her pace with throwing her head side to side, often taking her entire front end with her, sometimes perilously close to the edges, whenever I asked her for contact and to slow down. I’ll be truthful it was pretty bad and I definitely spent those first 12 miles questioning my life choices.

At High Camp about 3/4 of the way up Squaw, we stopped for water, to give electrolytes, and for me to see how she’d recover her heart rate after 12 miles of impressive fretting and drama and most of the time her heart rate being way too high. She shocked me by recovering in Lena and Clip like speed. So off we went again surviving the boulder field and rock water falls of Granite Chief with only a few meltdowns when I wouldn’t let her follow horses in front of her too closely. We finally got some open trail on the way to Cougar Rock and I started to get my horse “back” again. I’d said all along no way was I doing Cougar Rock with a baby horse. But as we got to the rock all alone, a friend taking pictures there asked what I was going do and I said “no no not with a baby, no no, Oh heck let’s try it!” And up we went. And yes we had a moment near the top Arrya was not too sure. She stopped. Tried to go left. Tried to go right. Tried to turn around and finally I got her to just stop a moment and think - and then she hopped up and over and we were gone! Whoop whoop! I was pretty proud of her in that moment! At that moment I thought we got this! We can do this, as long as I caredully monitored her “tank” all day and made sure I left enough in it to keep going.

The learn by doing phrase happened at the first big hold, Robinson Flat, when she wouldnt eat much, too upset with all the commotion and then Clip and Reyna leaving. They were going to go a lot faster all day. I told my kids Arrya would either figure it out as the day worn on and start eating and drinking or we were gonna be done. At that moment none of us knew how it would go.

Let’s just say this post is already way too long to share all the highs and great moments Arrya and I had together. She did indeed get it done - in spectacular fashion, finishing in 12 th place, very sound, ears up, perky, and with plenty of gas left in that tank! This baby horse had never been ridden in the dark (no head lamp) or crossed a river that we had to just about swim across because she’s a little short, nor had she ever had to continue on all alone for hours in the dark with no other horses to support her. I’m in awe of what this “little engine that could” got done on Saturday and will likely accomplish in her up and coming endurance career. She’s going to get a longer than usual rest period now, given I asked a lot of her so early in her training. But we are so excited in our family for this little mare.

To finish up the darn rear foot thing got Reyna and Clip around 60 plus miles, they had to stop at ForestHill but not before Reyna had proven she could race the Tevis trail all on her own, getting herself all the way into 4th to 5 th place before they had to stop! I was very proud of Reyna. We had the whole family back together again to help crew, which I’m so grateful for, they were amazing. And I am so thankful for the wonderful volunteers that helped me at every stop, cooling my mare, helping to hold her and bringing her mash and hay (Arrya did decide later in the day I must have been starving her) as she started ravenously eating and drinking from every tank and puddle. Amazing how 100 miles of that trail will teach a horse SO much about life. LOL

Thank you also to all of the vets, and ride management and my fellow Tevis Board members for making this ride happen. Thank you to our farrier Justin Loewen and to Buzz Arnold for being the taxi driver and getting the rig out of Robie Park. Tevis truly is magical, it doesn’t matter if you are riding to race it or to just experience the trail to see what you and your horse can do together. There is no other ride like this! Finally congrats to my good friend John Perry for winning the Haggin Cup with his mare Diva. Very well deserved, Diva looked fabulous. John and Reyna rode together quite the bit of the day and I was so relieved she had a good friend and rider to lean on.

City of Rocks: Year 9 on the way to Decade Team - Merri Melde

The Equestrian Vagabond Blog - Full Story

June 10 2025
by Merri Melde

Planning a ride season nowadays is pretty much a crap shoot, with work and other commitments and the West now always prone to exploding in fire and changing your plans for you.

My main Endurance goals for Hillbillie Willie and me are to have fun and maybe, just maybe achieve Decade Team, which is equine and rider teams who completed at least one 50-mile+ endurance ride each year for 10 years. This is year nine for Team Hillbillie Willie and Me.

We rode and finished a 25-miler at Eagle Canyon in April, but that is one hard hilly ride, and Willie is not a hill horse, so I wasn’t about to attempt a 50 there for his first ride of the season. It was a good hard training ride for him.

So along came the 3-day City of Rocks in Almo, Idaho, a ride we have put on, or helped put on, the last 15 years. This year I’d shoot days 1 and 2, and Cat would shoot day 3 so Willie and I could attempt a 50.

Heat, heat, heat, was in the forecast, though Day 3 was the kindest of them all. A small chance of thunderstorms were in the forecast, which I either prayed wouldn’t happen or just pretended they weren’t going to happen. City of Rocks can have some doozy storms on those hot summer days (oh, wait, it’s not even summer yet.) and boy am I scared of lightning.

I was hoping we’d find someone to ride with. While Willie can go alone or in company, and he appears to enjoy the 25 milers solo, I didn’t think he’d much like blazing 50 miles of the hot trails alone. We ended up starting out with Danielle and Huey, and companionably rode with them the entire day. Willie pretty much instantly makes best friends anybody he rides with and he of course thought Huey the Quarter horse was the Bomb...

Read more here:
https://theequestrianvagabond.blogspot.com/2025/06/city-of-rocks-year-9-on-way-to-decade.html

2025 Fursan Cup - Alex Shampoe

2025 Fursan Cup
by Alex Shampoe

A week ago, I returned from one of my favorite trips to date—an experience that left me with incredible memories, lifelong friendships, and a deeper appreciation for endurance riding. I had the privilege of riding two amazing horses, reconnecting with friends from around the world—Jordan, Australia, Germany, and beyond—and making new friendships that will last a lifetime.

The People Who Made This Trip Special

Let me start with my team. Maya Janbey from Namibia, was experiencing Saudi Arabia for the first time. She speaks perfect English, German, and Afrikaans, and we instantly clicked. We rode together in the 120K and spent the day together after I was pulled from the 160K. Then there was Anne Wegner from Germany, whom I met last year when we rode for the same stable. Anne was invaluable in helping us navigate the venue and giving us confidence. I’m so grateful for both of them, and I can’t wait to see where our paths cross again.

We stayed with Faisal, the owner and leader of our team, in a massive house where many of our crew members also lived. A good bit of them spoke some English, and a few were nearly fluent. They made us feel so welcome and safe from the moment we arrived. One evening, after a long day at the venue, a small group took us to the Old Town walk of AlUla. We enjoyed traditional Arabic food and explored the beautifully lit cave walkways and charming shops. The main stage, set against towering rocks illuminated with Arabic script, was breathtaking. It was a night I’ll never forget.

The 2★ (120K) Race – Riding Helfik

My 2★ horse was Helfik De Kermat, a stunning 8-year-old grey gelding. He had already completed two 100K races and one 120K earlier this season, so I knew he was ready. This was the biggest race of his career so far, and I was so excited to ride him. The day before the race, he warmed up beautifully—calm and responsive, even when other horses around him were getting worked up. I felt confident heading into race day. The vet check was stressful, with many horses feeling the energy of the event. Helfik was a little excited trotting back to the vet but settled quickly. We were ready.

Race morning was pure chaos—but in the best way. Our stable had 13 horses at the start line. Six were aiming for top-10 finishes, while the rest of us focused on completion. We walked to the start area as a group and joined a massive pack of nearly 200 horses moving in a giant circle. The horses in the middle were canter/galloping, the next layer trotting, and those of us on the outside walking. Helfik, in his biggest start ever, walked as calmly as he could.

Once we launched down the chute, it was hectic trying to find our place among the other teams, but we quickly settled into a rhythm. The first loop flew by—rolling hills, solid footing, and a short stretch of deep sand before hitting the runway into the vet check. Helfik was incredible. He pulsed down fast and passed the vet check with ease. During the hold, he was a little nervous, so I walked him while he ate.

Loop Two

The second loop was the toughest. It started with rolling hills and patches of deep sand before reaching the base of a long, sandy climb. There was a water stop, volunteers handed out cool water to help keep our horses refreshed. The climb itself felt endless, but I was grateful Helfik was a fast walker! At the top, another water stop gave us a quick break before we faced a steep, sandy descent. Seeing my pen-pal friend Talia at the crew area lifted my spirits—she helped keep Helfik happily munching and walking while I took a much-needed food break.

Loop Three

I think of this loop in thirds: the first part had great footing and rolling hills, then we hit deep sand, though thankfully not too steep, before finishing on solid ground. Helfik cruised through like a pro—eating, walking, and staying strong.

Final Loop

The last loop was my favorite. The scenery was breathtaking as we rode between towering rocks that echoed with the sounds of riders' voices. Helfik, the fastest walker in our group, led much of this stretch. We passed our incredible crew at an out crew point before navigating rolling sand hills that led to the final stretch—the runway to the finish.

Every single one of our seven horses completed the race, and our stable had an outstanding 12/13 completion rate—especially impressive considering only 50% of the total starters finished! The team was thrilled, and I couldn’t have been prouder of Helfik. He never lost his appetite, pulsed down quickly every time, and was strong and willing throughout the entire race.

The 3★ (160K) Race

The next day, I started the 160K race but was pulled for lameness after the first loop. Though disappointed, I was relieved that my horse, Ghiornu D’Olmarellu, was okay and will race again soon. Ghiornu, a smooth-moving 9-year-old gelding, made the early morning ride alongside Anne feel magical as we watched the sunrise over the desert.

Even though I didn’t get to finish, I spent the rest of the day crewing with my Saudi teammates. They did their best to lift my spirits—singing in the car, sharing snacks, and helping me learn a little Arabic while I taught them some English. Just making an effort to speak someone else’s language meant so much to them, and their excitement when we understood an Arabic word was contagious.

I also got to spend extra time with both my horses—walking them, letting them roll, and just soaking in the privilege of being there.

The venue was amazing. The area was so thoughtfully layed out from where the stables were to the catering tent, where the opening ceremonies with the stands for spectators was. They had a special crew parking area close to the vet holds so your crew could be as fast as possible getting out to help you. Every loop there was at least 2/3 places with water troughs for the horses to drink with volenteers to hand us cool water for the horses. There was at least 2 crew pionts on Every loop a for the horses to drink and of course out crew to support us.

This trip reminded me why I love endurance riding so much. It’s not just about the races—it’s about the people, the horses, the connections, and the moments that make it all worthwhile. I left AlUla with a heart full of gratitude, new friendships, and even more passion for this incredible sport.

Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2024 - Ashley Wingert

October 21, 2024
by Ashley Wingert

Third time was a charm for “iconic buckle 100-milers” with an attempt at both Virginia City and Tevis in the past, but apparently I had to go overseas to begin my 100-mile buckle collection with a finish of Australia’s premiere, national championship ride, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup.

How do I even begin to put into words my dream ride at the Tom Quilty? 20 years ago, I got my first real taste of endurance while on vacation in Australia when Dad and I did a bush-n-beach adventure tour weekend with an endurance rider who used his endurance horses for the tours. It got both of us hooked on good Arabian horses and wanting to dive into the sport of endurance, and then later that summer I ended crewing at the Tevis Cup for the first time, which solidified my love of the sport.

Fast forward 20 years and I found myself back in Australia, toeing the midnight start line of the Tom Quilty. This opportunity came about from dear friends Paul and Marty Bryson, who have welcomed me into their home for the past couple of weeks, made me part of the family, and given me the most phenomenal TQ experience I could have hoped for.

The Quilty was held in Wirrina Cove, South Australia this year, in the absolutely stunning Wirrina Cove Holiday Park venue. I am so spoiled to ride venues now, with flush toilets and hot showers, and beautiful grounds with green grass everywhere.

The TQ ride organizing committee did an outstanding job and I can’t heap enough praise on them for how well the ride was run. Obviously this being my first Aussie endurance race, I have no frame of reference for comparison…but I was so impressed with the level of work and commitment that the small but mighty organizing team put in and how outstanding, lux, and next level the ride was, while still maintaining a friendly and helpful atmosphere and vibe and making me feel extremely welcome.

The ride course was TOUGH, and so very different to my usual Arizona trails, but what a difference! I don’t think I’ve ever ridden so many sustained hills at one time — and not technical climbs, but long, rolling hills, many of which were trottable…which is something that I have a hard time training for, so I got an accelerated learner’s course in how to trot down hills in a sustained fashion! But the ocean views from the tops of many of the climbs were sure worth it, and coming in from the last loop with the moon rising up over the ocean horizon was a spectacular way to end the night. The ride saw a 59.4% completion rate, I believe, with 78 completions out of 131 starters.

Miss Dior MI truly deserves a post of her own, which will be forthcoming, but for now, I can say, “wow.” That red mare is all heart and gave so much. I’ve had the privilege of riding some good horses over the years, and she has been one of the best. This is her third TQ completion in a row now, and I could not have asked for a better horse.

There are similarities and differences between US and Aussie endurance…but what is universal is a welcoming spirit, a desire to explore the beautiful outdoors, a love of our magnificent steeds that give and accomplish so much, and a fire for this crazy sport that we willingly and cheerfully sign up for.

I will be leaving Australia with the best souvenir I could hope for — a beautiful Tom Quilty buckle — but even more than that, it’s the new friendships made, future paths to explore, and memories that will last a lifetime.

2024 Virginia City 100 - Emilee Randal

By Emilee Randal
September 24 2024

On September 1st, I saw a post from Samantha Ellis saying that the iconic JM Gibbs was available for a Virginia City lease. This is a ride I’ve always wanted to cross off of my bucket list, but since it doesn’t have the hype that Tevis does, it wasn’t really a priority. I talked to my mom and I didn’t think I’d be able to convince her, but by September 7, she was on board. This meant that I only had 11 days to prepare and I was already planning on riding a 50 on the 14th.

I focused on my upcoming 50 and came out of it with very sore legs from riding a horse with a huge trot. I was nervous that I wouldn’t bounce back in time to be the best rider I could be for this 100 (my second 100). Danielle reached out to me the following Monday asking if I’d like to ride her darling saddlebred on a conditioning ride with her and I couldn’t pass the opportunity up, despite being sore. This ride went very well and I felt much better after 17 miles. I packed and utilized the most amazing packing list from Tamara Baysinger and before I knew it, we hit the road. The initial plan was to drive to Winnemucca, NV on Thursday and finish the drive on Friday. I plugged Virginia City into the GPS in the morning so that the ETA time we were looking at all day was an ETA to Virginia City. The placebo effect is funny. We ended up doing the whole drive (13 hours or so) in one day. Tami kindly welcomed us and we hit the hay shortly afterwards.

In the morning, we went into town for coffee and the historical aspects of the town were fascinating! I read the wikipedia page about Virginia City during the drive which made the town itself just that much cooler. I enjoyed breakfast with some of the Crater Hill girls and spent most of the day meeting people and conversing, which was wonderful. One of my favorite parts about going to rides that aren’t in the NW is meeting new people. I love our PNER family but it’s so awesome to meet these infamous riders and get to talk to them about their successes in this sport.

Later in the day, Kelly arrived with Gibbs and we went straight to vetting since the ride meeting was rapidly approaching. He vetted through beautifully and the nerves were hitting. I didn’t have time to pre-ride but my saddle looked like it fit him well. I met Andrew, who was voluntold to ride with me, and he suspected we would finish around 3:30am. This didn’t really surprise me, but I also didn’t really realize how late that truly is when you haven’t had a lot of rest.

At the ride meeting, we were warned about lions and bears. No tigers, thank goodness! The sheriff had notified Tami about four mountain lions in town and Tami had seen bear tracks in Bailey Canyon. There was no mention of rattlesnakes which was a relief. I went to bed shortly after the ride meeting with tightly braided hair (thank you, Mollie) and I slept well until about midnight. I was tossing and turning and worrying about a million possible bad outcomes. I was supposed to be awake at 2:45 and I didn’t have my watch, phone, or a clock nearby, so I hoped it was close to 2:45. Fortunately my mom happened to be awake and close to her phone so she told me it was 12:30. Blegh. I was able to go back to sleep and despite sleeping lightly, I felt well rested when my alarm went off at 2:45. I got up, ate breakfast, drank some electrolytes, and enjoyed the stars. Around 3:30, camp was bustling with energy and it was time to start saddling. I got Gibbs and brought him over to my trailer for some hay and began tacking up and fitting everything to him. By 4:15, we were ready to go. We gave him some electrolytes and I hung out with Andrew while he finished getting ready. We were mounted by 4:40 and headed into town. The energy of a crowd of 43 teams isn’t describable until you’ve done it. I can’t even imagine what Tevis is like!

Gibbs was calmly walking around on a loose rein and I could tell that we would have a good day. This horse is all business. They announced that the trail was open and we walked out in the middle of the pack, led by the sheriff. Everyone worked their way into a single-file line at the trailhead. The only light was from the moon and it was surreal. The trail was rocky already but Gibbs was incredibly sure-footed and worked his way through them like he’d done it a million times. We slowed down through some of the worse bits and lost sight of the front of the pack. Fine by us!

Trotting through the desert in almost complete darkness in frigid temperatures was so cool. I am not one to ride with gloves, so when the sun finally rose and I could feel my fingers again, I was relieved. We cruised through the first 25 miles and had an unfortunate rattlesnake encounter. Nobody died and Gibbs was doing very well. We’d seen a few mustangs and I thought it was just incredible! I have never seen mustangs in the wild before.

We made it to the first check and Gibbs vetted through nicely and ate very very well. I fueled up as well and we began the trek back to camp. If you’ve ridden Virginia City or know more about it than I did going into it, you know about the infamous SOB’s. We cruised down to the Washoe vet check, vetted through, and continued on. When we were almost at the SOB’s, I texted Darlene to let her know. Her response: “my condolences”.

I tailed up half of the first one before hopping on again. Those SOB’s were no joke. When we got off at the top of the second one to walk down, I decided I’d tail up the whole thing. I was riding a bigger bodied horse and it was worth it to be briefly uncomfortable in order to save some horse for Mt. Davidson. I tailed up the second one and stayed on for the third one since it wasn’t nearly as bad as the first two. The view from up there was incredible.

We continued on and made it to the cookie stop. I enjoyed a few cookies, refilled my waters, and grabbed a Dr. Pepper. I was looking forward to the hour hold at camp since I have never ridden 50 miles without going back to camp at some point between the start and the finish. When we made it back to camp, I made the risky call to switch saddles. Mine was creating a very small pressure point on both of my inner thighs which hasn’t happened before. I decided a 100 miler wasn’t the time to troubleshoot this issue and Sam was gracious enough to let me use hers for the rest of the day. I haven’t ridden in a Specialized in a few years and it was definitely an adjustment. Gibbs has a phenomenally strong back so we weren’t at all worried about that. I ate, hydrated, and put on a fleece long-sleeve since it was going to get cold and off we went.

The middle part of most rides is always a bit mentally challenging for me. Having good company made this section a lot easier, but I kept thinking about how when the sun was setting at Mary and Anna, I was 8 miles from the finish, whereas here, I was 40 miles from the finish. That thought was incredibly unhelpful. I was adjusting to the new saddle and Gibbs was completely unbothered, so I figured we would be just fine to finish out the ride in this saddle.

We made it back to the cookie stop and began the climb up Mt. Davidson. At this point, the sun was almost completely set and by the time we were to the top of Mt. Davidson, it was pitch black. The view of Reno was absolutely incredible. I was doing well riding in the dark since I’ve done a fair share of that thanks to minimal daylight hours during the winter and busy days. Sometimes it’s the only time I can ride. Admittedly, I’d never ridden more than two hours in the dark.

By the time we got back to camp it was 10:42. We were right on the line of the recommended latest times. I was starting to get tired since I don’t normally stay up later than 11. Mollie was done by then and Sybil was tucked into bed so she jumped in to help. She and Sam took care of Gibbs and told me to take a cat nap. My mom gave me the most fantastic shoulder massage since that’s where I hold all of my anxiety and they always get really sore after about 8 hours in the saddle. I rested for about 20 minutes and then it was time to get up, refuel, and go.

We only had 25 miles left at this point which didn’t sound like much, but boy, it felt like a LOT once we began the lollipop. We left the Long Valley checkpoint to do that lollipop and I was suddenly hit with vertigo. The significant elevation change compared to what I’m used to at home likely contributed. I have never in my life experienced vertigo and I didn’t realize what was going on until I mentioned how nauseous and dizzy I was. Maybe I should’ve taken that non-drowsy dramamine. Lesson learned. Then my headlamp died and a steady white light was about the only thing keeping me sane. We were warned by riders coming in off of the lollipop that there was creepy music being played and I was more paranoid than I’ve ever been. The trees had faces and the rocks were talking to me. Gibbs kept trotting along, unfazed by the trees with faces and the voices. There was music coming from somewhere, but it was likely just a homeless encampment playing music at 3am. I do think I fell asleep a few times while riding.

Getting back to the Long Valley vet check for a 15 minute hold was a relief. I sat down in a chair and dozed off for a few minutes after eating a small cup of very delectable soup. I tried to drink some water but the nausea made it difficult. I managed to tow myself back into the saddle and we really had to keep a steady trot if we wanted to make it back on time. Andrew turned on his headlamp from behind me and the light soothed the vertigo. We trekked on in dead last and before I knew it, we were at the water buffalo. I flopped down over Gibbs’ neck and almost fell off. A truly humbling moment.

The last 5 miles to camp felt like it took forever but at the same time, it flew by. My mom was constantly updating Darlene who was living vicariously through her and in that moment I was so thankful to have two people who love me cheering me on. It felt like Darlene was right there with me at 4am. When we approached the finish line, I was giddy. We were done.

We made our way back to the fairgrounds and met Mollie and Sam who were ready at 4:30 in the morning to take over and let me go to bed. I was granted my completion and the best hallucination of the day was my bed calling my name. I fell asleep at 5am after a brief celebration with Darlene via text message. Waking up to “congratulations” messages from some of the people I admire most in this sport made me tear up. I get a little choked up thinking about it now. This experience was so unique and special. Finishing and getting a burst of adrenaline and pride is something I will never forget. I am so thankful to everyone who made this happen and to every single person who believed in me. I most definitely could not have done this without Max’s voice in my head telling me to keep on going. Each and every day I will ride for the horses who cannot, for the riders who cannot, and I will cherish every moment spent in the saddle with trusty steeds who share my love for the sport.

Until next year.

2024 Mary and Anna Memorial 100 - Emilee Randal

June 5 2024
By Emilee Randal

Finally have time to sit down and write a ride recap for The Mary and Anna Memorial ride. My first 100. First and foremost, none of this would have been possible without my mom, Darlene, Max, Fire’s previous owner, Cat, who did so much to make sure she held up well, Kristine, Celena, Joslynn, Siri, Sarah, and so many other people.

Back in March, Darlene put the wild idea into my head that I could probably do the 100 at Mary and Anna. I thought she was absolutely insane, because WHAT?! My initial goal was Tevis, but this year I’m going to go crew. Darlene thought it would be a great first 100 and she was right. Surprising, I know! We decided it would be smart to have me ride with Max at Eagle Canyon to see if our mares were well matched for 100 miles. You put a half thoroughbred mare and an off the track arabian, both competitve, together for 100 miles, and they won’t tell you if they’re tired. Despite angry mare stares all day and mild concern that they would push eachother too hard at MAMR, we decided to give it a go. I fed Fire everything she would eat, her ugly duckling clip grew out, and before I knew it, it was time to go. Fire was well prepared with regular BEMER sessions, chiropractic work, and some massage work.

The trek to La Pine wasn’t bad, but Bend traffic is no joke. My mom and I left bright and early around 5 or 5:30 and got to camp around 1:30. We got all set up and later on, Joslynn and I went for a little pre-ride. She took Miles (a decade team horse who is still breezing through LDs) and I rode Fire. The conversation was wonderful and we had a grand time cantering up a hill.

I took Fire out the next day for a second little pre-ride. We went bareback in my sidepull and she was so good. I was really happy with how she was doing and I felt like we were as set up for success as possible.

I tried to sleep that night, but it didn’t go too well since I kept dreaming that we got pulled because she was dead lame, colicing, etc.

I woke up at 3:30 and forgot a few things, but I wasn’t nearly as forgetful as I had been at Eagle Canyon.

I was in the saddle by 4:45 and she had fire coming out of her butt. I’m sure half of it was me, but she kept giving me the tiniest little bucks like there was a literal stick up her a$$. Once we got going, she settled in nicely. Max, Darlene and I had discussed strategy and we were going to go all day with one horse leading for 5 miles, then switching out for 5 miles, then switching back. We started with Fire in the back. I think it saved me some blisters on my hands.

Jala was taking photos just a few miles from the start, which I didn’t know, and I ended up throwing my jacket a few hundred feet from her. She was going to grab it, but someone else did. No luck finding it yet.

The mares were moving along very nicely and Fire was more manageable than she ever has been. I was pleased. Before I knew it, we were at the 20 mile vet check. Fire was eating, drinking, and she even peed! Vetted through fine and my blood pressure dropped significantly.

We went out again, and in that first 20 miles we had picked off all of the people that we would for the whole day. We were happy with how our mares were doing and we kept a super consistent pace of 8mph. Fire was going on a loose rein at this point and I figured the rest of the day would be a breeze.

Going into camp she started jigging. Poor thing can’t keep up with a big half thoroughbred mare going downhill. God forbid! We both just kept getting more and more upset, so I came into the vet check with electricity coming out of my butt, or something like that. Darlene took Fire and I went to go take a breath and eat something. I ended up taking a brief power nap, then it was back in the saddle! We did another two loops before Siri noticed that I was pretty off center and Fire’s back was getting a bit sore because of it.

The small change that I had to make to balance myself caused a good bit of agony. I had to shorten my right stirrup to make it slightly better but my ankle was SCREAMING at me. On the very last 9 mile loop it hurt so bad I could hardly think. I was very glad I wasn’t 75 miles into Tevis with another 25 to go.

I survived and we crossed the finish line in 5th place. Fire took a few minutes to pulse down, but she did and trotted sound. I was expecting to cry from the emotional overload, but I did not.

I took her back to the trailer, took care of her and gave her all sorts of food options, then went back to vetting to watch other people come in. I still don’t know why I didn’t just go to bed.

Jala came up to me and gave me a hug, and for whatever reason, I started crying. Total waterworks. I was laughing at myself while crying because I had no idea why I was crying, but soon, the tears subsided and I was happy to sit by a little propane fire and watch people come in.

I went to bed with some very sore legs and woke up the next morning for BC showing. The SECOND I saw her, my eyes went to her hind right leg, which had blood running down it. Good grief.

She cast herself in her panels overnight. I took her to the vet and was freaking out just a little. He assured me she was just fine. Her other legs were cold and tight - thank you compression socks!

Fire’s CRI was 56/64, so she was tired, but otherwise okay. I was overjoyed. I knew we didn’t have a shot at BC, considering the horses in front of us have a much more rigorous training program, along with some damn good owners, but I was just happy her CRI wasn’t horrific.

Overall, nothing really went wrong. It was a good day spent with good people. I had some very wise people give me advice for next time and I’m thankful for people who are willing to share their knowledge.

We brought home AHA Region 4 Endurance Purebred Arabian Reserve Champion and Purebred Arabian BC - for clarification, not overall BC.

I cannot express how thankful I am to everyone who helped me out throughout the day - Heather was great company to calm me down, Siri and Sarah, who both rode 50s and then jumped in to lend a hand, Darlene, my mom, and Joslynn. I’m sure there’s more that I’m forgetting, but seriously, thank you ALL.

Another big thank you to Jennifer Kaplan, who did so much to help get me to this point in my endurance career, to Ashley Fiedler for years of support and riding lessons, to Sue Barrington for introducing me to BEMER - thank you for helping with keeping my girl healthy, Marlene Moss for all of the saddle fit assistance (finished with no back soreness!), to The Distance Depot for keeping us looking snazzy all day and being my favorite tack place, and Fleet Foot Forge for all of the brainstorming you did with me to give Fire the best advantage with her shoeing.

2024 Mary and Anna Memorial Ride - Samantha Ellis

May 27 2024
By Samantha Ellis, Crater Hill Equestrian

The Mary and Anna Memorial Ride was one for the history books for us, my only regret, is not having to gone to this ride in years past!

We were anxious to try a new 100 and get a look at the course for the AERC National Championships. I had some concerns as we don’t do much speed training on our horses, and this is a flat course. We focus more on long slow distance and steady hill work. We wanted to use this ride to make some horse choices on who we want to aim for championships.

As per the usual, endurance is all about being flexible. I planned all year to take Leno to this ride as a prep for Tevis. Of course a week prior, he decided a pasture injury would sideline him (he will be fine- but had to sit this one out). I struggled with riding or not riding, but at the end of the day we needed another sponsor so I would need to ride. The only other horse that we could fit a 100 safely into their schedule was Sybil, whom I had turned the reins over to Mollie Quiroz for the season.

After much discussion, we would proceed as planned with our groups and I’d just make the horse switch and ride a similar ride as planned prior. After looking at prior times, we came up with the plan that my group would finish between 830 and 9, and Mollies group between 1030 and 1130.

The ride start was perfect, they said the trail was open and Sybil just kept her head down grazing :) . I let everyone blast out of there and waited for a calm time to walk out. Tierney Beloberk and Christine Crum’s horses were equally reasonable. We had a great start and got passed by a bunch of people in the beginning and then when just started cruising. I feel like the beginnings of rides really set the tone for how the rest of the day is going to go. Mollie was riding with Katie Stilwell Katie Stilwell Beloberk, Vanessa Erickson, and Jax. All 4 first time 100 mile horses, so they started a bit later than us.

We cruised into the first vet check with no issues. The volunteers were amazing and our crew bags were there waiting. The horses pulsed right down and better, it was a bit cold at this check and I wasn’t sure what exactly we were in for for the rest of the day. After we left there, things just fell into place.

We kept a steady pace all day. Cantered a few flats to use different muscles, but mostly just held a steady trot. The footing is absolutely spectacular and was truly a treat! Watching the clock and gps this is a similar time and pace that we would be doing at Tevis into Robinson Flat so I thought this was great training!

Unfortunately Christine was pulled at 60 miles, and Katie was pulled at 40 but both appear to be minor and to be honest it was great to have some crew! By this point Andrew Gerhard had also finished his 50.

As we came in at 75 miles we had our amazing team of Christine, Katie, Andrew and Frank Crum waiting for us! Sybil and Tres were feeling amazing and pulsed right down! When I vetted Sybil the vet said wow, she doesn’t look like she’s done 60 miles! I said actually 75 :) .

We kept passing people in the vet checks because our horses were recovering very well. I stuck to the game plan and while I really didn’t care about placing, I just wanted to hit my time target for Tevis training, it was a wonderful surprise to end up 3rd and 4th!!! We finished at 836, so right on target! I would have ridden the same ride whether we were 1st or 30th. That was the appropriate speed and that’s what we were going to do, and whatever happens was meant to be!

Mollie finished right after 11, everyone looked great! It was a huge accomplishment to get all these first time 100 milers through! We had the brilliant idea to ride the 50 the next day since we had already paid for fuel and taken the time off work. Why not get our moneys worth :) :) :) .

So Sunday morning Vanessa, Christine, Mollie, Andrew, and Frank set out for the 50. This meant I had to ask Tierney to show Sybil for BC. If you don’t know Sybil, she can sometimes be a little goofy and definitely got a reputation here when she first arrived. I expected some serious push back from Tierney, but to my surprise she was up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to show at 7am!

We set out for the 50 at the same time and tried not to have an anxiety attack worrying about how it was going. I got a text from Katie saying Sybil looked great but then crickets. Mollie, Vanessa and I laughted until we cried.

We came in at 22 miles and vetted horses. My heart sank because I knew they had done awards by now and I didn’t hear anything, so while I thought Sybil looked great apparently it wasn’t good enough. Or maybe she was a dragon and T didn’t want to show her.

Topsy vetted through right away with her freak show recoveries and I walked around to get her some food. The Beloberk’s walked up to me to say goodbye, and Tierney said something like, “so your horse…”, my heart sank again, she must have been crazy. And she couldn’t keep a straight face, we were awarded High Vet Score AND Best Condition! We were quite a ways off the pace so I didn’t have high hopes, but I am blown away! Sybil’s journey is only just beginning and it was a perfect reminder that strategy and sticking to the plan always pays off! I would always rather a BC than a win!

We set off again and finished our 50. Christine tied for first place with Jay, and I’m so happy that Pikhante is still out there living his best life all these years later. Again we ended up Top 10 simply by chance and riding a smart ride, we all showed for BC. Pikhante ended up getting BC and Topsy got High Vet Score! Her CRI at the finish was 44/44.

Sometimes I feel endurance has a deeper meaning. When Tierney first started taking lessons, I said, she’s going to be my endurance rider! And here we are! I haven’t had the chance to ride with T on a 100 since Tevis 2022. After her head injury, this was really special and I just loved getting to spend the time with this amazing young lady and am so proud of who she has become. I watched her make all the right choices, put her horse first, we laughed, we cried, we navigated, we had highs and we had lows, but it was such an honor to spend the day with her. And that she got out there and showed Sybil, and I had many people come tell me what an amazing job she did!

This ride was so amazing. The crowd up north was more than welcoming, the camp was amazing, the trail is ideal for the NC ride!!!! I know many complain about the early starts on rides, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Tevis starts at 5 too, and being done in brought daylight was a real treat. There were still plenty of people out there until 4am as well. The early start and finish time allowed us to get up and ride again Sunday!!!

Darlene Merlich and Max are really amazing people, who welcomed us with open arms even though we generally don’t venture up that way. Im so incredibly sad that this is their last year managing as this ride is 100% top notch!!!! The marking was perfect, the GPS was spot on, there was no possible way to get lost.

I’m feeling extra grateful for this amazing life tonight, the people, the family it’s created, the amazing horses, the amazing people experiences. Literally we are living the dream! I have to once again thank Shawn Bowling and Lisa Bowling for having this dream and helping build the program and watching it soar - then turn the reins over to Mollie Quiroz and I, and I really hope we continue to do you guys proud!

Thank you Jennifer Elizabeth Mayfield for being such an amazing vet, we could not do this without your expertise, and always just being a text message away!John Brain and Scotty Mayfield kept the horses shod perfectly with no lost or loose shoes! Cara Choy thank you for working in everyone before we left, I know Sybil’s success had a lot to do with your hard work! Specialized Saddles kept us all comfortable all weekend with straight As on backs withers! I love love love my Aussie light and for both of my mares to get High Vet Score in it is amazing! Thank you Diane Seaby Stevens for fitting everyone! Thank you to Highh Lonesome Arabians, Debra Lemmons, Erin Lemmons, Jessica Lemmons for breeding these amazing athletes and trusting us with them! And also only ever being a text or call away for anything that has to do with breeding, training, or just to talk! Highh Visibility, Highh Tops, Highh Marks and Highh Treason. Mandolyn Hill Farm was also well represented by our team this weekend, thank you Michelle Morgan and Chris Lewis for putting faith in our program! Kiss Curl MHF, Mercy Me MHF, El Kusu MHF, and Raven MHF. Courtney Brain, Mari Larson Flasck, Barbara Hartley, Jennifer Elizabeth Mayfield, thank you for trusting our team to pilot your horses this weekend and trusting us with their education in the sport!

I have more to say about this weekend, but I’m still recovering, and there will definitely be more posts to come!

Christina Chesterman Memorial ride 2024 - Nick Warhol

May 22 2024 Nick Warhol

One of my favorite things in this sport is going to new rides for the first time. I'm a little surprised I haven't made it to this one before, but I went up with Sorsha, and Ines with Rayos this past Saturday. The ride is a 3.5 hour drive for me, located just north of the town of Paradise CA, the poor town that was burned to the ground by the big fire a few years ago.

I'd never been to Paradise, and seeing it was kind of scary. Most of the buildings that are there are new; the ones that have been rebuilt, but a lot of the town is still just gone. It's very spooky. The ride is put on by JayaMae Gregory, who did an absolutely splendid job. Everything about it was well organized and well run; I didn't see any real issues at all.

The whole event had a great vibe to it since it is a memorial for a young local woman who was killed by a drunk driver. Her parents come to the ride, the whole town supports it; it made for a really neat atmosphere. I hadn't heard that story before. The ride camp was great, located at this big ranch up in the mountains.

There were campground spots, and a big Meadow with lush green grass. Lots of bugs in the meadow though; luckily we were up in the campground away from all that. The ride itself was entirely out from camp; there were two vet checks on the 50 out at a single location about 15 minutes up the highway.

You know how every time you do a ride, it always seems like something can happen for the first time? Well, it did for me. In 33 years of endurance, this was the first time that I ever slept late. I set my alarm on my phone and for some reason it didn't go off. I was awakened to Ines and Laura Fend talking outside and wondering where I was. The ride started at 6:30, I got out of bed at 6:08. In 22 minutes I got dressed, ate, tacked up, and made it to the start exactly on time. That included my shoelace snapping off as I tied it. That’s why there is a spare pair of riding shoes in the trailer! Nothing like a little bit of stress in the early morning!

The ride started out on forest roads in the chilly morning air. After winding through a combination of forest roads and some nice trails, we ended up on this amazing raised road/trail that went alongside the right side of an irrigation canal of sorts. But it was a wide canal of 15 feet or so with deep, rushing water, with about an eight foot drop to the water itself. It was really neat to ride along this thing for about a mile, with an occasional slowdown or stop because you did not want your horse to go left into this thing. That would ruin your day real quick!

The ride in the past has had an extraordinary amount of forest roads in it, but management took the advice of riders and threw in much more single track. They put some very nice trails in here. There was one section especially that I just had an absolute hoot in. It was an old, soft, Jeep road sort of thing that wound through the forest that had been trimmed for horses. We blasted through that section, even cantering some of it; it was like chase in the Old West where the horses are running through the forest. Sorsha and I led, and poor Rayos had to really work to keep up! It was fun! That ended all too soon. We continued along on a combination of Jeep and logging roads, with occasional segments of single track through the trees. It was a fun loop with perfect weather.

We arrived at the first check at 20 miles where our crew Laura and Judy were there waiting for us. Laura spent the weekend hanging out with Judy which was great, and a huge help for me. We had our hour hold, and then continued on to the 2nd loop of 15 miles, where we climbed up into the high country. The terrain up here reminds me a lot of the Wild West ride; same kind of elevation, trees, and trails. This loop started off on forest roads, but culminated in a steep technical climb that was really steep, but only for a little while. Sorsha hammered up it as she usually does, thinking she should just run up it, which she usually does. It was one of those hills that has the breast collar really doing its job. Once at the top, about a mile of forest roads took us to the end of the loop where we picked up the playing card and rode back down the mountain. The way back down was less interesting, being just on fire roads, but they were fire roads in the pretty forest with the footing mostly good.

Back into that same location for our second vet check where we spent half an hour this time. The weather was really interesting; it was just lovely when you were riding in the shade, but when you get into the exposed sun it got a little warm.

But overall it was quite nice. I didn't think a lot of the first half of the 3rd loop going home, since it included a few miles of open exposed boring flat gravel roads. We actually saw the guy who had done some trail sabotage riding a quad with a woman on the back. He had gotten on to the course, kicked out a chalk arrow line, and was taking down ribbons coming towards us. We didn't know that at the time. We didn't have any issue whatsoever since we found the chalk line that he had kicked out at the only intersection in question.

We then continued on until we picked up the next ribbon in a hundred yards and all was well. By the way- the trail was marked exceptionally well. I think there was one time in any of the many turns I had to look to see where the ribbon was, and there it was. Great job ride management! I take trail marking personally, and these guys did it well. Once we got off the ugly forest roads, we reconnected with our outbound loop for about 5 miles and had a lot more of that fun stuff in the deep forest that we had done in the morning in the opposite direction.

It was also nice getting back into the forest where it was cooler. The ride has an interesting finish in that you get to the base camp area and do an entire mile loop around it. The poor horses are very confused! There's a giant, deep, clear water crossing right before the finish line where you round the meadow and come back to the finish, where both horses really tanked up.

We finished at about 3:30 PM in the middle of the pack after having a great ride. The ride meal was also very good. We camped Saturday night and headed home in the morning which was nice. Sorsha just cruised through it as usual, fresh as a daisy at the end. I really enjoyed it, and I will certainly be back! Next stop- two days at the Wild West ride!